1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a hide puller or device for skinning an animal. More specifically it is a device that assists a sportsman in removing the skin or hides from a variety of animals or fish by providing a mechanized method of pulling the hide or skin from the carcass of the animal or fish.
2. Description of the Related Art
Skinning a large animal usually involves hanging the dead animal from a sturdy tree limb or other support structure and then, using a hunting knife, gradually cutting the skin loose from the carcass while pulling downward on the skin to remove the skin from the carcass. Because the skin is slippery and tightly adhered to the carcass, this can be a difficult and time consuming job.
The present invention addresses this problem by providing a device that can be mounted on a hitch receiver of a truck or other vehicle and can be used to assist in skinning large or small animals, including fish. The device has an extendable upright support member and has a pulley system that is attached on an upper end of the upright support member so that the animal's carcass and the animal's hide can be secured between the movable pulley system and a lower end of the upright support member to provide a pulling action on the animal's carcass and the animal's hide to assist in separating the hide from the carcass.
The upright support member telescopes so that it can be extended in telescopic fashion to the desire height for use in skinning an animal and can be retracted to a shorter configuration for transport or storage.
Animals that can be skinned using the present invention include, but are not limited to the following: deer, antelope, feral hogs, coyote, raccoon, bobcat, and nutria. Fish that can be skinned using the present invention include, but are not limited to the following: catfish, spoonbill, and stingray.
Once the animal has been skinned, the carcass may remain supported on the invention while being butchered, if desired.